Prince Harry‘s trip to the U.K. this month has already been filled with drama, as reports claimed that his invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace was withdrawn “at the last moment” despite him formally accepting the offer.
The Duke of Sussex arrived in the U.K. on Tuesday, July 7th to mark the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games in Birmingham, but his trip was already surrounded by controversy after reports claimed his Buckingham Palace accommodation offer had been rescinded.
According to reports, Prince Harry formally accepted the invitation after making alternative security arrangements for himself upon learning that RAVEC would not be providing the enhanced security he had been seeking. The lack of security is also thought to be one of the reasons why wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, didn’t fly to London with him after weeks of speculation, although there have been reports suggesting they could join him elsewhere in the U.K. at a later date. Nothing has been confirmed at the time of writing.
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Prince Harry's Invitation To Stay At Buckingham Palace Was 'Withdrawn' At The Last Moment
So why isn't Prince Harry staying at Buckingham Palace? Prince Harry's spokesperson reportedly explained why the royal family allegedly withdrew the offer…
"Following RAVEC's decision not to provide security for his family, the Duke spent last week making alternative security arrangements. Once those arrangements were in place, he was able to formally accept the offer of accommodation for himself over the weekend," the spokesperson said, according to People.
"It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with Tuesday's judgment in the Associated Newspapers Limited case cited as the reason," they went on, referencing the Tuesday, July 7th court case against the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday publisher, which he ultimately lost. More on this down below!
"Buckingham Palace has, however, been aware of that judgment since last Thursday. It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment," they added.
Buckingham Palace Claims Prince Harry Initially Declined The Invitation, And The Deadline Had Passed When He Finally Accepted
As we know, there are always two sides to a story, and Buckingham Palace's reported version of events seems to differ from Prince Harry's.
According to reports, Prince Harry initially declined the invitation, and only accepted it on Sunday, July 5th, after the deadline he had been given had passed. The deadline was allegedly put in place to allow staff enough time to prepare for his arrival.
As his spokesperson mentioned, Prince Harry's case against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) on Tuesday, July 7th was reportedly another factor behind the royal family's decision, as insiders claimed that King Charles did not want to appear compromised by having his son stay at Buckingham Palace while a court decision was imminent.
King Charles Reportedly Didn't Want To Be Compromised By The ANL Ruling
On Tuesday, July 7th, Prince Harry and six others lost their High Court privacy case against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) after claiming that the newspaper group used unlawful methods to obtain information – allegations the publisher denied.
According to the BBC, Judge Mr Justice Nicklin said the claimants failed to prove the allegations of unlawful information gathering. A spokesperson for the publisher described the judgment as an "overwhelming victory for the Daily Mail and its journalists."
Prince Harry and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, another claimant whose son Stephen Lawrence was murdered in 1993, said in a joint statement: "We came to Court seeking justice and accountability. But we have received neither." The statement added: "It is a complete and obvious whitewash, but sadly not altogether unexpected."
